Storage vessel



Feb. 5., 1946. H. c. BOARDMAN STORAGE `VES SEL Filed April 1'7, 1944 Patented Pelis-1946 STORAGE v'sssm. Harry C. Boardman, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chlcago Bridge &Iron Company, a

Illinois corporation of Application April '17, 1944, Serial No. 531,421 3 Claims. (Cl. 220l0) This invention relates 'to a storage vessel and more particularly .to a vessel adapted for storing liquids at abnormal temperatures above or below atmospheric.

The invention has particular reference to storing material such as liquefied natural gas which may be stored at a temperature as low as 260 F. At these temperatures normal carbon steel is brittle and will not withstand the necessary pressure, whether due to liquid head or to vapor prii-f lo sure or both. 4

On the other handl metals which will withstand low temperatures of this order without losing their ductility are quite expensive and the construction of a tank of such metall involves very considerable cost. In accordance `with the pres-V ent invention a composite storage vessel is prepared comprising a thin ilexible membrane of cold-ductile metal. a surrounding insulating layer, and an outer pressure retaining shell of ordinary carbon'steel. The insulating material is selected to transmit pressure uniformly from the inner flexible membrane to the surrounding shell.

The shape of the vessels may be of any conventional form, for example. it may be spherical. gs

spheroidal, or cylindrical.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing in which Figure l is a sectional elevation of one form of the device, and Figur-e 2 is a sectional plan. view taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. l.

The structure comprises an outer sheet metal pressure shell iii composed of the ordinary carbon steel plates welded together at their edges- Inf side the pressure' shell is a layer of suitable inV sulating material il which may, for example, be cork bonded together sufficiently so that it will not have a tendency to now. Inside the cork is of cold-ductile metal such as a high nickel alloy. This membrane rests upon the insulating material and any pressure exerted against it is'transmitted by the insulating material to the shell I0. The membrane l2 may be provided with corruga. tions il as shown in Figure 2. The corrugations are preferably .arranged on va vertical axis. the corrugations vanishing towardV thel poles ofthe any combination of the vessel.` These corrusations are greatlyexaggerated in proportion in the drawing and only are of suillcient size to permit lateral movement, of the membrane4 due to compression of the insulating material. In some cases the insulating material may beilciently compact to'avoid the necessity for these corrugations or the builder may prefer to permit plastic or other flow of the membrane. The vessel is illustrated as supported in a bed of packed sand maintained within ya framework l5. Draw-oil means I6 are provided in the bottom of the' vessel and inlet ymeans I1 are provided for introducing liquid to the conramer. x

The pressure vessel may, lof course, be designed forwithstanding gas pressure, liquid pressure. or two and its shape and the thickness of the individual plates are selected inaccordancewith known engineering data inf accordance with the stresses which the vessel has to accommodate. v 1

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only. and

no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom.

What I claim as new,

v`Letters Patent. is:

layer of insulating'material membrane of metal alloy retaining its strength at g l. A pressure vessel adapted to stand temperatures markedly below normal minimum atmos pheric temperatures, comprising a sheet metal pressure shell of substantially spherical form, a within the pressure shell and supported thereby; and a gas-tightthin` temperatures as low as 260 F. and supported by said insulation and characterized by corrusations theilexible membrane I2 composed of thin sheets in said membrane extending circumierentially from pole to pole of the sphere,4 said corrugations increasing in depth from a minimum at the poles to a maximum at the equator of'said vessel.

2. A vessel as set forth in-claim l, in which the corrugations havea vertical axis.

a. A vessel as ser forts in cnam 1, m'whicliv v the insulation is cork.

maare.'

and desire to secure by 

